Reflection on EDLD 5306, Concepts of Educational Technology
One of the biggest “aha’s” for me in this class was Prensky’s (2001) idea of Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives. This was a coalescing of ideas that I have had for quite a while. It also gave me a framework for the huge disconnect I saw between the students, the teachers, and the school system. The analogy of immigrants and natives has been extremely helpful in how I approach instruction in the classroom (with the natives), and how I plan PD’s (with the immigrants).
I have previously given many staff developments with PowerPoint about using data to guide instruction. So there was no real new learning there. But the presentation did help me to better meet ISTE Performance Standard V on using technology to improve professional practice. I wanted the teachers to see that the technology can make their jobs easier by allowing them to sort through and disaggregate student data.
This was the first class where I had some difficulty completing the assignment as I am not in Texas, I am in California. So I had to randomly “choose” a Texas school and use their data to create my PowerPoint presentation. I found a school called “Dishpan Elementary” and couldn’t resist due to the name. Also, I was new to the Texas STaR data (2006) and the Long Range Plan for Technology (2006). I was actually impressed with how comprehensive it was and said so in my blog and discussion posts.
One of the things I realized was that Texas and California are very much alike in how they use data and what they are requiring from the schools. This was made very apparent in the discussion boards. I felt an immediate camaraderie with my fellow students.
Another reading that was very helpful not just to my work in schools but in the rest of my life was Gwen Solomon’s (2004) article on E-communications 101. Just like the Prensky article I mentioned above, it crystallized and reinforced some things I had been thinking about for some time. I try to keep my email and other electronic communication succinct and easy to digest. One of the things I had been doing was lots of breaking up text into chunks and bullet points. I always felt a bit guilty like, “what would my English teacher say…?” But I felt validated by the article that it was a user friendly way to convey information.
I will continue to use these ideas in my professional career. As I grow and develop as an educational leader in technology I will need to remember the difference between the natives and the immigrants. I will also need to show students and teachers how technology can improve their “practice”. And finally, I want to keep my communication skills in line with the way we process information in the digital age.
References
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital native, digital immigrants: Part 1.On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital native, digital immigrants: Part 2.On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-9
Reflection on EDLD 5306, Concepts of Educational Technology
One of the biggest “aha’s” for me in this class was Prensky’s (2001) idea of Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives. This was a coalescing of ideas that I have had for quite a while. It also gave me a framework for the huge disconnect I saw between the students, the teachers, and the school system. The analogy of immigrants and natives has been extremely helpful in how I approach instruction in the classroom (with the natives), and how I plan PD’s (with the immigrants).
I have previously given many staff developments with PowerPoint about using data to guide instruction. So there was no real new learning there. But the presentation did help me to better meet ISTE Performance Standard V on using technology to improve professional practice. I wanted the teachers to see that the technology can make their jobs easier by allowing them to sort through and disaggregate student data.
This was the first class where I had some difficulty completing the assignment as I am not in Texas, I am in California. So I had to randomly “choose” a Texas school and use their data to create my PowerPoint presentation. I found a school called “Dishpan Elementary” and couldn’t resist due to the name. Also, I was new to the Texas STaR data (2006) and the Long Range Plan for Technology (2006). I was actually impressed with how comprehensive it was and said so in my blog and discussion posts.
One of the things I realized was that Texas and California are very much alike in how they use data and what they are requiring from the schools. This was made very apparent in the discussion boards. I felt an immediate camaraderie with my fellow students.
Another reading that was very helpful not just to my work in schools but in the rest of my life was Gwen Solomon’s (2004) article on E-communications 101. Just like the Prensky article I mentioned above, it crystallized and reinforced some things I had been thinking about for some time. I try to keep my email and other electronic communication succinct and easy to digest. One of the things I had been doing was lots of breaking up text into chunks and bullet points. I always felt a bit guilty like, “what would my English teacher say…?” But I felt validated by the article that it was a user friendly way to convey information.
I will continue to use these ideas in my professional career. As I grow and develop as an educational leader in technology I will need to remember the difference between the natives and the immigrants. I will also need to show students and teachers how technology can improve their “practice”. And finally, I want to keep my communication skills in line with the way we process information in the digital age.
References
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital native, digital immigrants: Part 1.On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital native, digital immigrants: Part 2.On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-9
Solomon,G. (2004).E-communications 101. Technology & Learning, 24(11), 48, 50, 52. 54, 56, 58, 60
Texas STaR chart: School technology and readiness: The campus chart. (2006). Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency.
Texas STaR chart: School technology and readiness: The teacher chart. (2006). Austin, TX: Texas Education Agency.
Course Artifacts:
TEA Planning Wiki